CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

I absolutely cannot resist well-crafted and exquisite detailing; add CHANEL into the mix, and I’m basically rendered incapable of coherent thought. That was the effect I experienced upon first laying eyes on the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder. I hadn’t even wondered about how well this powder would suit my skin tone, as I couldn’t see past the elegant raised double C’s – but thankfully, this is one product that looks as stunning as it performs.

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder (CAN $78.00) | Housed in the brand’s iconic black lacquered compact case and protected by a velour sleeve, this face powder also comes with a small flat brush (that has its own little sleeve), with a full-sized mirror on the inner lid. The base shade is a warm-leaning nude hue with peachy undertones, but the real star attraction here, are the apricot-hued raised and interlocked double C’s splashed across the palette’s surface. The precise work on the logo has been crafted to look as though stitched – and you’d be hard pressed to believe it isn’t real. There is a light shimmery overspray to the entire palette and while the majority will be swept away with the first brush stroke, that finely ground shimmer remains as part of the actual product, serving to add a beautiful luminosity when applied to the skin. The logo itself appears to run all the way through, and not just a surface detail – a good thing, as it serves to provide a little spot of colour to what would otherwise be a simple face powder.

Trying to pick up the two tones separately, is basically an exercise in futility and to be fair, I’m certain this powder wasn’t designed to be used in that manner anyway. I prefer to swirl my brush across the surface and mix the two together, although you can still concentrate more on the neutral portion if desired, in order to avoid getting too much of the coloured section. A large-headed fluffy brush will yield a lighter dusting across the skin, perfect for setting your makeup, while a dense kabuki-style brush enables you to buff the powder into the skin for an even more flawless finish. The overall payoff of the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder is such that it will benefit a pretty broad variety of skin tones; that being said, those with the palest complexions (read: alabaster) may probably be able to use this powder as a natural looking blush shade – especially if the emphasis is placed more on the logo, while those with dark skin tones may not find it gives any colour payoff at all and the result might even appear as too ashy.

The swatches below were done with a heavy hand and even at that, it’s very difficult to pick up the two individual tones along my skin; suffice it to say that on my light-medium skin tone, this becomes one of the most natural looking face powders I’ve tried to date, imparting a beautiful & healthy-looking glow to my face, without ever looking chalky or dusty. Staying power is about 8 hours + or what I usually get with setting/face powders, but I must say that as the product warms up on my skin and starts merging with my natural oils, it almost appears to get even better and more natural looking (and without oxidizing), if that makes sense.

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder swatches

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

I’m a little (ok, a lot) late in posting this beauty jewel, as here in Montréal the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder was released back in August (released around October in the US), and while I was told it was a limited edition product, it’s not listed as such on CHANEL’s website and I was even able to still find it at several counters around town (I’d suggest calling ahead first just the same). If you can get your hands on this amazing face powder, then I can’t recommend it enough. If not, don’t worry – as there will always be something new and just as awesome coming from this brand. And I’ll still be just as powerless to resist.